The Edge

We’re always on the look out for new names in the performing arts scene and this month, we’ve been curious over one Nick Choo who has written a musical entitled The Edge which will be performed at IndiCine. This workshop production is directed by Chris Ling and features actors/singers like Ho Soon Yoon, Zalina Lee, and Janet Lee to name but a few. While this is Choo’s debut Malaysian production, he’s actually been involved in theatre since his university days in Australia. A full-length musical he wrote, Follow The Light, even received the Best Musical award in Western Australia’s Finley Awards for Independent Theatre 2005.

The Edge revolves around six people whose lives are turned upside down when they are confronted with the suicide of a person near and dear to them. Yes, it’s a rather grim plot but Choo assures that it’s not an exercise in depression. Instead, the musical wants to explore the weight of situations like these, and how ordinary people deal with them emotionally and in the case of these six characters, they draw on memories, both good and bad. “It’s a show about relationships, and the remembrance of relationships, triggered off by the suicide attempt. So there's the dark, serious stuff, but also the light-hearted, funny moments that hopefully allow the show to not be bogged down by too much heaviness.”

The music in The Edge will help lift the dark veil as it will be a mix of contemporary, accessible pop and more complex, sophisticated “art music” as described by Choo. The tunes will be accessible and listenable, without sounding too cliché. Choo’s hopes are that the audience will connect to the issues presented, and also he’s curious as well to see how people will react to a musical that doesn’t subscribe to the typical ideal of a musical. Minimalism takes centerstage here, with no elaborate costumes and sets to detract from what really matters: the story and the music.

Text Sarah Chan